Understanding Dengue Underreporting: An Analysis of the Impacts for the World, Latin America and Brazil

Abstract

Notifiable diseases are legally designated due to their epidemic potential, requiring mandatory reporting by healthcare professionals to support public health surveillance and control. This narrative review analyzes weaknesses in the compulsory notification process, with emphasis on dengue, revealing critical gaps in surveillance systems and health data reporting globally. A structured literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and SciELO, including articles in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Inclusion criteria focused on studies related to dengue surveillance, underreporting, health information systems, and notification policies. The findings demonstrate persistent failures in data collection, diagnostic confirmation, and reporting practices, which compromise the accuracy of epidemiological indicators and hinder timely responses. These limitations reflect broader challenges in dengue control. Strengthening surveillance infrastructure and reporting protocols is essential to mitigate underreporting and improve decision-making in public health.

Keywords: dengue; surveillance; underreporting.

Figure 1

Integrated vector control strategies for Aedes mosquitoes, categorized by physical, biological, and chemical approaches. Methods include environmental management (e.g., ovitraps and GIS mapping), biological control (e.g., Bacillus thuringiensis and RNA interference), and chemical tools (e.g., insecticides and insect growth regulators). Image created with Biorender.com (accessed on May 15, 2025).